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Reading fluency is one of key facets of reading performance. At the neurophysiological level, as reading skills improve, latencies of P100 and N170 shorten, and the functional role of these ERPs components is expanding. While in primary schoolchildren, only orthographic N170 effects are observed, lexical and grammatical N170 effects are traceable in adulthood. However, previous studies neglect the adolescent sample. The goal of this study was to determine whether adolescents exhibit lexical and grammatical N170 effects and explore the link between reading fluency and P100 and N170 components. We assessed 32 adolescents in the context of a grammaticality judgment ERP experiment and estimated reading fluency. We registered lexical N170 effects indicative of the presence of an adult-like lexical representation system. Moreover, we observed negative correlations between reading fluency and P100 and N170 latencies, which suggest that reading fluency is affected by the speed of visual processing captured by these latencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess strengths and weaknesses of the reading level (RL) match approach and its potential to generate insights regarding the cognitive foundations of reading ability and disability. We applied RL-match design to a sample of 2nd – 6th graders reading a consistent orthography, Russian, using an "extreme phenotype" approach. Readers with suspected specific reading disability (sSRD, n = 538) and high-performing readers (HPR; n = 806) were matched via propensity Scores, using IQ and each of the alternatives: accuracy of word decoding, pseudoword decoding, word unitization, or paragraph reading fluency. In each case, two groups were compared on the remaining literacy tasks as well as phonological processing, orthographic processing, and rapid serial naming. When matched on word or pseudoword decoding (288 and 313 pairs, respectively), readers with sSRD and HPR differed on all remaining indicators. When matched on word unitization (173 pairs), the differences disappeared or had substantially diminished effect sizes. When matched on paragraph reading fluency (57 pairs), no significant differences remained. Thus, none of the componential skills appeared antecedent to the observed difficulties assessed via the number of correctly orally read words per minute. However, certain inherent limitations of RL-match design preclude us from considering this to be a definitive outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies focusing on children affected by HIV have shown that they have generally lower academic performance, however, few studies separate children who are HIV exposed and infected (CHEI) and those who are HIV exposed but uninfected (CHEU). Importantly, in rural sub-Saharan Africa, the majority of studies on CHEI and CHEU examine academic performance indirectly based on cognitive test scores. Therefore, studies assessing the effects of HIV on academic achievement directly for CHEI and CHEU are needed. This article evaluates the effects of HIV-infection on cognitive and academic performance by comparing CHEI (n = 82) and CHEU (n = 1045) aged 7–17 years old using cross-sectional data from an ongoing longitudinal study in a rural area of Zambia. Youth completed cognitive and academic assessments; their height and weight were assessed to generate Body Mass Index (BMI). Caregiver questionnaires provided information on youths' years in school and household socio-economic status (SES). Results indicated that while HIV infection status did explain some of the variance in performance between CHEI and CHEU, age, BMI, years of schooling and SES accounted for additional variance. The effect of years of schooling on both cognitive and academic performance demonstrated that CHEI's performance may be greatly improved by consistent school enrollment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mini-review attempts to provide a capsule overview of the role of genetic factors in reading and its development across languages and writing systems. The review is conceived and executed with a scoping review approach, synthesizing the methods employed in the existing research rather than producing a summary of evidence to answer a discrete research question. Specifically, major research approaches in the field of quantitative- and molecular-genetic studies of (a)typical reading development are briefly reviewed and interpreted. Current frontiers of the field are described and places where evidence is insufficient to generate explicit statements about indisputable findings are highlighted. Overall, the resulting vector of the review points to the necessity of the relevant empirical work. Based on the available data at this point, it is impossible to comment authoritatively on the role of languages and writing systems as specifiers or modifiers of the genetic machinery underlying the development of reading skills, as a critical mass of relevant research does not currently exist. More relevant studies are needed to provide evidence-based conclusions about this role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The imaging genetics of specific reading disabilities (SRD) is an emerging field that aims to characterize the disabilities' neurobiological causes, including atypical brain structure and function and distinct genetic architecture. The present review aimed to summarize current imaging genetics studies of SRD, characterize the effect sizes of reported results by calculating Cohen's d, complete a Fisher's Combined Probability Test for genes featured in multiple studies, and determine areas for future research. Results demonstrate associations between SRD risk genes and reading network brain phenotypes. The Fisher's test revealed promising results for the genes DCDC2, KIAA0319, FOXP2, SLC2A3, and ROBO1. Future research should focus on exploratory approaches to identify previously undiscovered genes. Using comprehensive neuroimaging (e.g., functional and effective connectivity) and genetic (e.g., sequencing and epigenetic) techniques, and using larger samples, diverse stages of development, and longitudinal investigations, would help researchers understand the neurobiological correlates of SRD to improve early identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specific reading disability (SRD) is defined by genetic and neural risk factors that are not fully understood. The current study used imaging genetics methodology to investigate relationships between SEMA6D, brain structure, and reading. SEMA6D, located on SRD risk locus DYX1, is involved in axon guidance, synapse formation, and dendrite development. SEMA6D's associations with brain structure in reading-related regions of interest (ROIs) were investigated in a sample of children with a range of reading performance, from sites in Connecticut, CT (n = 67, 6–13 years, mean age = 9.07) and San Francisco, SF (n = 28, 5–8 years, mean age = 6.5). Multiple regression analyses revealed significant associations between SEMA6D's rs16959669 and cortical thickness in the fusiform gyrus and rs4270119 and gyrification in the supramarginal gyrus in the CT sample, but this was not replicated in the SF sample. Significant clusters were not associated with reading. For white matter volume, combined analyses across both samples revealed associations between reading and the left transverse temporal gyrus, left pars triangularis, left cerebellum, and right cerebellum. White matter volume in the left transverse temporal gyrus was nominally related to rs1817178, rs12050859, and rs1898110 in SEMA6D, and rs1817178 was significantly related to reading. Haplotype analyses revealed significant associations between the whole gene and brain phenotypes. Results suggest SEMA6D likely has an impact on multiple reading-related neural structures, but only white matter volume in the transverse temporal gyrus was significantly related to reading in the current sample. As the sample was young, the transverse temporal gyrus, involved in auditory perception, may be more strongly involved in reading because phonological processing is still being learned. The relationship between SEMA6D and reading may change as different brain regions are involved during reading development. Future research should examine mediating effects, use additional brain measures, and use an older sample to better understand effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this essay, I comment on the objective of cultivating creativity in general and in schools in particular. I start by tracing the historical origin of this objective, then discuss a select set of relevant issues, including what can be considered the best practices for achieving this. I conclude by contemplating the potential for globalisation of this objective, and the portability of general pedagogies and specific approaches to cultivating creativity between different educational systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated relative clause (RC) comprehension in 44 Russian-speaking children with typical language (TD) and developmental language disorder (DLD) (Mage = 10;67,SD= 2.84) and 22 adults. Flexible word order and morphological case in Russian allowed us to isolate factors that are obscured in English, helping us to identify sources of syntactic complexity and evaluate their roles in RC comprehension by children with typical language and their peers with DLD. We administered a working memory and an RC comprehension (picture-choice) task, which contained subject- and object-gap center-embedded and right-branching RCs. The TD group, but not adults, demonstrated the effects of gap, embedding, and case. Their lower accuracy relative to adults was not fully attributable to differences in working memory. The DLD group displayed lower than TD children overall accuracy, accounted for by their lower working memory scores. While the effect of gap and embedding on their performance was not different from what was found for the TD group, children with DLD exhibited a diminished effect of case, suggesting reduced sensitivity to morphological case markers as processing cues. The implications of these results to theories of syntactic complexity and core deficits in DLD are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the use of multiple criteria and informants is one of the most universally agreed on practices in the identification of gifted children, few studies to date have examined the convergent validity of multiple informants and objective ability tests in gifted identification. In this study, we illustrate the use of the correlated traits–correlated (methods – 1) or CT–C(M – 1) model (Eid, Lischetzke, Nussbeck, & Trierweiler, 2003) to examine the convergent validity of self, parent, and teacher ratings relative to objective cognitive ability tests in a sample of 145 4th to 6th graders. The CT–C(M – 1) analyses revealed that teacher ratings showed the highest convergence with the objective assessments, whereas self-ratings had the lowest reliabilities and insufficient validity. Parent ratings were more reliable and valid than self-reports, but were outperformed by teacher ratings for most abilities. Overall, the CT–C(M – 1) analyses showed that the convergent validity of the ratings relative to the objective test battery was highest for numerical and lowest for creative abilities. Furthermore, whereas part of the shared variance between parent and teacher ratings reflected true convergent validity, agreement between parent and self-reports was entirely due to a shared rater variance. Our analyses demonstrate the usefulness and proper interpretation of the CT–C(M – 1) approach for examining convergent validity and method effects in multitrait–multimethod data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined anaphora resolution in children with and without Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) to clarify whether (i) DLD is best understood as missing knowledge of certain linguistic operations/elements or as unreliable performance and (ii) if comprehension of sentences with anaphoric expressions as objects and exceptionally case marked (ECM) subjects supports a particular theoretical account of anaphora. Fifty-four native-Russian-speaking children (age M = 7;06, SD = 1;09) were tested on a picture selection task. Children with DLD (n = 18) underperformed overall but displayed similar patterns to the typically developing (TD) group with respect to the extra difficulty of the ECM relative to the transitive and ECM pronouns relative to all other conditions. However, whereas pronouns were more difficult than reflexives for the TD children, this effect was not significant for the DLD group, whose reduced accuracy on reflexives washed out the effect of pronouns in that group. These results are consistent with performance-level vulnerability in DLD, arguably related to weaknesses in lexical processing and with the Reflexivity framework of Binding phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the relationship between rapid serial naming (RSN) and orthographic processing in Russian, an asymmetrically transparent orthography. Ninety-six students (Mage = 13.73) completed tests of word and pseudoword reading fluency, spelling, orthographic choice, phonological choice, phoneme awareness (PA), and RSN. PA was a better predictor of orthographic skills and pseudoword reading accuracy than RSN, which accounted for more variance in word and pseudoword reading fluency. Controlling for pseudoword reading fluency washed out RSN’s contribution to word reading fluency. These results extend previous findings questioning the role of RSN as an index of orthographic processing skills and support the idea that RSN taps into automaticity/efficiency of processing print-sound mappings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined neural indices of pre-attentive phonological and attentional auditory discrimination in children with developmental language disorder (DLD,n= 23) and typically developing (n= 16) peers from a geographically isolated Russian-speaking population with an elevated prevalence of DLD. Pre-attentive phonological MMN components were robust and did not differ in two groups. Children with DLD showed attenuated P3 and atypically distributed P2 components in the attentional auditory discrimination task; P2 and P3 amplitudes were linked to working memory capacity, development of complex syntax, and vocabulary. The results corroborate findings of reduced processing capacity in DLD and support a multifactorial view of the disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates factors in the home environment and their influence on children’s analytical, creative, and practical skills. A sample of 294 gifted children (195 male) was recruited from grades 4–7 in Saudi Arabia, where the family context is highly influenced by the principles of Islam. Results did not confirm the effect of birth order, but showed that (1) mother’s education was an important factor for gifted children’s creativity; (2) the number of boys in the family was negatively associated with gifted boys’ creativity (r = −.21); and (3) Quran-related learning experiences were positively related to gifted girls’ analytical (r = .46) and creative (r = .42) skills. Implications for understanding non-Western environments for gifted children are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article investigates the connections between personality and intelligence and somatic and mental (externalizing) health disturbances in a sample of 752 Russian adults, who participated in the study during the societal turmoil of the 1990s. Given the degree of societal instability during that period, and the heightened rates of health problems, crime, and alcohol abuse, we hypothesized that the predictive links between personality and intelligence would be mediated by the perceived impact of the societal change and moderated by demographic variables such as gender, education, marital status, and age. The pattern of results differs for various outcome variables, but, in general, the results confirm, although only partially, the presence of both mediation and moderation by other variables in considering the connections between personality, intelligence, and somatic and mental health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article introduces reports included in the issue, including Robert Serpell's "Bridging between orthodox western higher educational practices and an African sociocultural context."

In this article I describe a number of ways in which non-western cultures have adopted and used western educational approaches, forming an illustrative typology of these adaptations. I provide an illustration(s) of each category in the typology, briefly presenting the history of the category, detailing its modern state, and discussing selected aspects of the effectiveness of a particular educational system. Efficacy is discussed along the following indicators for the country(ies) exemplified in a given category: (1) literacy rates in the general population, (2) standing of the country's students as exemplified by results of international comparison studies, and (3) perceived standing of higher-education graduates of a given educational system as judged by the international labour market or commented on by the international community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linkage studies of complex phenotypes such as reading ability/disability (developmental dyslexia or reading disorder) and related componential processes, where the effects attributable to individual genes appear to be modest, are critically dependent on the nature and composition of the samples and the phenotypes analyzed. Thus, it might be helpful to consider the results from individual studies collectively so that summative profiles of findings can be considered. To gain an impression of how useful such an approach might be, a conservative meta-analysis based on Fisher's pooled p values approach was performed on regional linkage/association studies of developmental dyslexia and related phenotypes published through early September 2004. The obtained results rank order the findings and stress the need to contextualize the results with more regional linkage/association studies as well as with statistical simulation studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many students could learn more effectively than they do now if they were taught in a way that better matched their patterns of abilities. Teaching for successful intelligence provides a way to create such a match. It involves helping all students capitalize on their strengths and compensate for or correct their weaknesses. It does so by teaching in a way that balances learning for memory, analytical, creative, and practical thinking. This article describes how such teaching is done and provides data supporting the efficacy of the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

J. P. Guilford has had an enormous influence on the psychology of creativity. In many ways, he is the father of modern creativity research. Yet his conception of creativity was, we suggest, flawed in certain respects. In this article, we discuss both the strengths and limitations of Guilford's approach to creativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two different traditions in psychology emphasize the study of twin-twin and mother-twin relationships. One line of research, the twin development approach, has compared parenting styles and sibling relationships in families with twin and singleton offspring. This research tradition is based on the assumption that twins, relative to singletons, may be at risk for developmental delays in motor, cognitive [1-3], linguistic [1,4,5], and social-emotional functioning [6,7] because of their increased rate of prematurity, lower birth weight [8-11], increased parenting demands that result in less interactive maternal speech [12-18], shared peer time [19], and other experiences that distinguish twins from singletons [7,8,19-21]. Although recent studies have not replicated the developmental concerns [22-26] or concerns about specific birth defects [27] that emerged from earlier studies comparing twins and singletons, there continues to be interest in the relational differences that may be present in twin and singleton families and in the need to address educational and social policies that promote twin development [28,29]. Within the framework of this approach, distinctions between twins and singletons have received more attention than distinctions between fraternal, dizygotic (DZ) and identical, monozygotic (MZ) twins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides an `insider's' perspective on gifted education in Russia. Historical context for the development of special schools in the former Soviet Union; Data on the Russian students; Case studies of gifted Russian students; Social issues.

Considers the interaction between styles of thinking and giftedness in children. Theory of mental self-government; Relevance of styles for issues in gifted education; Interface between thinking styles and assessment.

An introduction is presented that discusses issue articles on topics including the education of gifted children in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, gender differences in mathematics and science education, and the relation of creativity to classroom environments.

The author reflects on a new approach developed by professors Albert Ziegler and Shan N. Phillipson after 100 year of research on gifted education. He comments that the new system focuses on systemic context of giftedness He further comments that systemic views of professors' does not cancel traditional views of giftedness but provides a new direction in the development of this field.